The surprising role of airway muscle in asthma - Fonds de recherche du Québec - FRQ

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For more than 20 years, Ynuk Bossé, a researcher at the Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumonie de Québec (IUCPQ), has studied the smooth muscle that surrounds the airways, often seen as the main culprit behind asthma symptoms. When the muscle contracts, it narrows the airways, which is why bronchodilators are prescribed to relax it and improve breathing. However, this complex and highly specialized tissue may have a more nuanced role than previously thought. The paradox led Bossé to explore two key areas: better understanding the normal function of airway smooth muscle (ASM) and examining its true contribution to asthma. The research team used organ baths to study the contractility of ASM in human lung tissue samples from the IUCPQ biobank, as well as in mouse models of asthma.

The findings challenge long-held assumptions. Rather than worsening asthma, ASM tone may actually serve a protective role by helping to maintain stable lung function and limit excessive airway closure in response to inflammation and mucus buildup. This new observation prompts a rethinking of ASM’s role in asthma and could lead to innovative treatments aimed at restoring its protective functions rather than supressing them.

Two industry partnerships have supported this work. One, with Boston Scientific, focused on a clinical procedure called bronchial thermoplasty in patients with severe asthma. The other, with Scientific Respiratory Equipment (SCIREQ), led to the development of a precision tool to measure small airway constriction. Known as the physioLens, this commercially available device is now opening up new possibilities in preclinical research.

References

  • Bossé, Y., Chin, L. Y. M., Paré, P. D., et Seow, C. Y. (2009). Adaptation of airway smooth muscle to basal tone: Relevance to airway hyperresponsiveness. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, 40(1), 13-18.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1165/rcmb.2008-0150OC
  • Gazzola, M., Lortie, K., Henry, C., Mailhot-Larouche, S., Chapman, D. G., Couture, C., Seow, C. Y., Paré, P.-D., King, G. G., Boulet, L.-P., et Bossé, Y. (2017). Airway smooth muscle tone increases airway responsiveness in healthy young adults. American Journal of Physiology–Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, 312(3), L348-L357.
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1152/ajplung.00400.2016
  • Gazzola, M., Boucher, M., Henry, C., et Rojas-Ruiz, A. (2024). Airway smooth muscle tone curbs hyperresponsiveness in experimental asthma [Preprint, bioRxiv].
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.07.05.602208
  • Bossé, Y. (2025). The airway smooth muscle and the pipe dream of better bronchodilators. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 103(1), 2-11.
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/cjpp-2024-0277